Bulletin Board

New England -- Entrepreneurs located in Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island can now go to the
bank for one more service--group health insurance. BankBoston is
one of the first large financial institutions to begin offering
health insurance to small businesses.

BancBoston Insurance Agency Inc., the bank's subsidiary, is
now offering group health insurance in partnership with the Small
Business Service Bureau Inc. to small-business customers with at
least one employee. Entrepreneurs can choose from one of nine HMO
providers, depending on the company's location, and premiums
will be automatically deducted from their account at
BankBoston.

For more information on the services offered by BancBoston
Insurance Agency, call (888) 638-5500 or visit your local
branch.

Programs Help State's Start-Ups

Iowa -- Iowa businesses involved in fast-growth
industries can apply for start-up or expansion capital through two
programs designed to encourage business growth and job creation in
the Hawkeye State.

The Entrepreneurial Ventures Assistance (EVA) program offers
business owners who have or are in entrepreneurial training from a
John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center or the equivalent up to
$20,000 for a specific project.

Firms must be located in Iowa and working in biotechnology;
recycling; software development or computer-related products;
advanced materials such as powdered metals; advanced manufacturing;
or medical or surgical instruments. Businesses outside these
sectors are also eligible but must provide strong rationale for how
their industry enhances Iowa's economy. Businesses working in
retail sales, health-care provision or product-distribution are
ineligible.

Entrepreneurs needing more than $20,000 may apply for an
equity-like investment of up to $100,000 through the Venture
Project, which is part of Iowa's Community Economic Betterment
Account.

For more information about EVA, call Georgia Soliday at (515)
242-4793; for details on the Venture Project, call Ken Boyd at
(515) 242-4819.

Incubator Targets Newly Hatched Tech Firms

Los Angeles -- Fledgling business owners interested in a
nurturing environment in which to grow their businesses can apply
for tenancy at the Interactive Multitainment Advanced Technology
Center, a technology and marketing incubator in Los Angeles.

Companies in the multimedia, software or Internet industries are
eligible, as are companies involved in developing technologies for
such sectors as security and manufacturing. The center is targeting
start-up firms and established businesses that need help to
grow.

According to Tonia McDonald, president of Global Business
Incubation Inc., the nonprofit corporation developing the incubator
in cooperation with the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency,
the incubator will teach teams of 18- to 24-year-olds how to market
to corporations the services and products developed by incubator
clients.

The incubator should open in the late spring. For additional
information, e-mail info@cyberparkusa.com or call
(213) 689-4424.

Awards And Rewards

National -- The Hammacher Schlemmer Search for
Invention 99Retailer Hammacher Schlemmer is
offering inventors with unmarketed patents chances to win a $5,000
grant or one of four $1,000 grants.

The patent must be for an original item and can't be a
modification of an existing product. Applications will be accepted
from February 1 through May 16. Semi-finalists must then submit
either a working or nonworking prototype for final judging.

National -- Evan Kemp Entrepreneurship
Award
The President's Committee on Employment of People with
Disabilities is looking for entrepreneurs with disabilities who
have distinguished themselves in establishing and operating a
successful business. In addition to national recognition, the
winner will receive a plaque and the cost of travel to the awards
ceremony in Washington, DC.

The deadline to submit a nomination is March 1. For more
information or to obtain an application, visit the agency's Web
site at http://www.pcepd.gov or
call (202) 376-6200.

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